Hoosiers face flooding, storm damage Friday

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – High winds and high water created problems across Central Indiana Friday.

Winds snapped a giant telephone pole used to hold lights for a baseball diamond in the 5100 block of Madison Avenue in Indianapolis. The pole also smashed open a storage unit that belongs to Tharp’s Heating and Cooling company.

Owner Joe Tharp was anxious to move the pole out of the way so he could get access to his shed. However, he was having a difficult time figuring out who is responsible for the pole. He also discovered the electricity to the lights was still flowing. Tharp says thieves have already been by to steal some of his equipment.

“They will come by and take it if it is not nailed down. Even if it’s locked, they will try to take it. That’s been a big, big problem in this industry for a long time,” said business owner Joe Tharp.

The bigger storm issue across Central Indiana was flooding. Roads in Boone, Hamilton, Hendricks, Hancock, Shelby, Bartholomew Counties had to be closed to traffic.

In Johnson County, six roads were closed on Friday.

Water flowed quickly over 400 South between Mauxferry Road and US 31. Every now and then, a driver would pull up, take a look, and then turn away.

It was a similar scene a mile and a half north of that, and on 400 South east of US 31.

“It gets pretty high sometimes. In 2008 it really got high. And it really got high about a month and a half ago,” said Ray Walton who owns property in the area. “You can drive through this if you want to chance it. I’m not going to do that. I have no desire to get my feet wet today. It’s a bit cold for that.”

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